Pio Monte della Misericordia was established in 1601 by seven Neapolitan nobles, with the purpose of providing interest-free loans to the needy. Borrowers would leave items as security which could be auctioned if the loans were not repaid. The confraternity still exists today, and donates funds to schools, churches and hospitals. Above the chapel's high altar is Caravaggio's magnificent Seven Acts of Mercy, and the art gallery's collection includes delicate, satiny oils by Francesco de Mura, a St Anthony by Giuseppe Ribera, and a St Agnes by Massimo Stanzione in the Sala del Coretto.